Prejudice alive and well in Colorado

It was an historic and moving moment—one that I will never forget. On Tuesday night at 10 pm Mountain Standard Time Barack Obama was announced the projected winner of the US presidential elections. Barack Obama’s story is inspiring. If an African American whose middle name is Hussein and whose father was a Muslim can become president of the USA there is little reason why any of us cannot reach our dreams.

However, as we do away with racism another form of left-wing prejudice seems to be rearing its ugly head. Here is an example. A few months ago I asked the City Council in Golden Colorado for permission to place a Menorah alongside their Christmas tree downtown.

After considering my request in light of a legal opinion that said it would be perfectly legal for them to do so they have decided to put forward a Resolution that would only allow secular symbols to be placed on city property, thus, disallowing the Menorah. The Mayor of Golden then stated that in the interest of inclusivity from now on they may begin calling Christmas trees Holiday trees instead. Now clearly this resolution favoring secularism over religion is tantamount to religious discrimination.

However, it is all the more ironic when one notes that just a few short months ago Golden City Council was opening its doors to the anti-Semitic and anti-American broadcasting network Al-Jezeera. The city manager of Golden, with the support of the mayor and city councilors, even went so far as to invite Al-Jazeera reporters to his home for a Barbeque. All of this done in the name of tolerance and diversity. Unbelievably, the request for a city endorsed barbeque for terrorist sympathizers was accepted but the application to place a Menorah in Golden, Colorado is set to be denied. The irony is overwhelming.

Religion seen as the source of all evil

Although not clearly stated, it is transparent that a radical agenda is at play here: the desire to remove religion from the public sphere completely. They would like to do this because their unstated radical ideology sees religion as the source of all negativity. The fact that secularism killed millions in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere is lost on them. That religion has been a force for good in the United States over the last number of centauries also goes unnoticed by these extremists who hold prejudices against religion.

It is absurd and disturbing that people who preach tolerance and coexistence for all other things feel that it is completely appropriate to discriminate against religion. Now if this was only against Judaism I would say that anti-Semitism was driving their decision. However, they would like to ban all religious displays, and in an absurd attempt to secularize what most conceive to be a religious object, they have now proposed calling Christmas trees Holiday trees instead.

All this has been done despite the fact that they acknowledge that the Supreme Court allows a Christmas tree and a Menorah to be placed on city owned property. Clearly their prejudice is towards all religions including Christianity.

This is cause for grave concern. Prejudice and hatred will try and find its way in while we are not looking. It is like a virus that mutates. The moment we think that we have defeated it by electing an African American to the highest office it reappears again in the form of secular prejudice towards religion. We must be vigilant of this and oppose prejudice and intolerance whenever and wherever it appears. The United States must remain a country that is tolerant and respectful toward all of its citizens, whether they are black, white, brown, religious, secular or anything else in between.

Rabbi Levi Brackman is co-author of "Jewish Wisdom for Business Success"